ker, and the husband rejoices in
the salvation wrought out for him. Sometimes there is no cure excepting
in the paralysis of death. This, too, is salvation to many hen-pecked
husbands, in which they also rejoice. Such has been the mighty
deliverance accomplished for some, that they have even celebrated it by
appropriate epitaphs on the tombstones of their buried partners. The
following is one said to be at Burlington, Massachusetts:--

"Sacred to the memory of Anthony Drake,
Who died for peace and quietness' sake,
His wife was constantly scolding and scoffing,
So he sought repose in a twelve dollar coffin."

There is another in Ellon churchyard:--

"Here lies my wife in earthly mould,
Who, when she lived, did nought but scold.
Peace! wake her not, for now she's still;
She had, but now I have _my_ will."

XXXII.

_A MODEL TALKER._

"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye
may know how ye ought to answer every man."--PAUL.

Having devoted the previous pages to sketches of faulty talkers, I
propose in this concluding chapter to give a description of a talker who
may be exhibited as a model for imitation.

As there is but One Model Man in the world, so there is only One Model
Talker. The Apostle James tells us who he is: "If any man offend not in
word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole
body."

But who is the man that offends not in word? Where is he to be found? Is
he not rather an ideal being than a _real_ one? Be he ideal or real, it
may answer some good end to set him forth as far as his ideality or
reality can be apprehended.

It may be well to premise just here that when it is said "he _offends
not in word_," it does not imply that no one ever _takes offence_ at his
word, but that he offends not through any defect in his intention, that
he is not held blamable or responsible for any offence taken at his
word. Not until every _hearer_ is perfect as well as every talker will
offence cease on both sides. Did offence taken by the hearer necessarily
involve offence given by the talker, He of whom it was said, "Never man
spake like this man," would fail to be perfect; yea, even God Himself
would come short of perfection: for how many took offence at the words
of Jesus! and how many are continually offended at the words of the
Almighty!

The following may be given as the outline features of a model talker.
There is only spac